Magnetic read and write head with NiFeCo-O-N or NiFeCo-N shield and/or poles

Abstract

A specified amount of N 2 O or N 2 is employed in a process gas of a DC magnetron for sputter depositing single or laminated films of NiFeCo—O—N or NiFeCo—N with a high uniaxial anisotropy H K after annealing these films along their hard axes. The films can be used for shield layers and/or pole piece layers in a magnetic head.

1. A magnetic head assembly, which has an air bearing surface (ABS), comprising:
 a spin valve sensor, nonmagnetic first and second read gap layers, ferromagnetic first and second shield layers;  
 the spin valve sensor being located between the first and second read gap layers and the first and second read gap layers being located between the first and second shield layers;  
 the spin valve sensor having a pinned layer which has a magnetic moment that is pinned by a pinning layer in a direction perpendicular to the ABS;  
 ferromagnetic first and second pole piece layers and a nonmagnetic write gap layer wherein the second pole piece layer is separated from the first pole piece layer by the write gap layer at the ABS and is connected to the first pole piece layer at a back gap;  
 each of the first and second shield layers and the first and second pole piece layers having a magnetic easy axis that is directed parallel to the ABS;  
 an insulation stack with a coil layer embedded therein located between the first and second pole piece layers wherein the insulation stack includes at least one baked photoresist insulation layer that has been formed in part by heating at a preselected annealing temperature in the presence of a magnetic field that is directed perpendicular to said ABS;  
 the insulation stack having been formed subsequent to said sensor and at least the first pole piece layer and/or second shield layer having not been subjected to annealing in the presence of a magnetic field directed parallel to said ABS before said heating of the layer of the insulation stack; and  
 at least one of the first and second shield layers and the first and second pole piece layers comprising NiFeCo—O—N or NiFeCo—N.  
 
     
     
       2. A magnetic head assembly as described in  claim 1  wherein the second shield layer and the first pole piece layer are a common layer. 
     
     
       3. A magnetic head assembly as described in  claim 1  wherein the second shield layer and the first pole piece layer are separate layers and are separated by a nonmagnetic insulative isolation layer. 
     
     
       4. A magnetic head assembly as described in  claim 1  wherein the second shield layer comprises NiFeCo—N. 
     
     
       5. A magnetic head assembly as described in  claim 1  wherein the second pole piece layer comprises a laminated layer of NiFeCo—O—N films with interlayer films of Al 2 O 3  or SiO 2 . 
     
     
       6. A magnetic head assembly as described in  claim 5  including:
 a seed layer comprising NiFeCo—O—N;  
 the second pole piece layer being directly on the seed layer; and  
 the seed layer having higher O and N contents than the NiFeCo—O—N of the second pole piece layer.  
 
     
     
       7. A magnetic head assembly as described in  claim 6  including:
 a bottom layer of SiO 2 ; and  
 the seed layer being located between the bottom layer and the second shield layer.  
 
     
     
       8. A magnetic head assembly as described in  claim 7  wherein the laminated layer includes four NiFeCo—O—N films that are each substantially 4500 Å thick. 
     
     
       9. A magnetic head assembly as described in  claim 8  wherein the second shield layer comprises NiFeCo—N. 
     
     
       10. A magnetic disk drive including a magnetic head assembly having an air bearing surface (ABS), the disk drive comprising:
 the magnetic head assembly including: 
 a spin valve sensor, first and second nonmagnetic first and second read gap layers, ferromagnetic first and second shield layers;  
 the spin valve sensor being located between the first and second read gap layers and the first and second read gap layers being located between the first and second shield layers;  
 the spin valve sensor having a pinned layer which has a magnetic moment that is pinned by a pinning layer in a direction perpendicular to the ABS;  
 ferromagnetic first and second pole piece layers and a write gap layer wherein the second pole piece layer is separated from the first pole piece layer by the write gap layer at the ABS and is connected to the first pole piece layer at a back gap;  
 each of the first and second shield layers and the first and second pole piece layers having an easy axis that is directed parallel to the ABS;  
 an insulation stack with a coil layer embedded therein located between the first and second pole piece layers wherein the insulation stack includes at least one baked photoresist insulation layer that has been formed in part by heating at a preselected annealing temperature in the presence of a magnetic field that is directed perpendicular to said ABS; and  
 the insulation stack having been formed subsequent to said sensor and at least the first pole piece layer and/or second shield layer having not been subjected to annealing in the presence of a magnetic field directed parallel to the ABS before said heating of the layer of the insulation stack; and  
 at least one of the first and second shield layers and the first and second pole piece layers comprising NiFeCo—O—N or NiFeCo—N;  
 
 a housing;  
 a magnetic disk rotatably supported in the housing;  
 a support mounted in the housing for supporting the magnetic head with its ABS site facing the magnetic disk so that the magnetic head is in a transducing relationship with the magnetic disk;  
 spindle motor for rotating the magnetic disk;  
 an actuator means connected to the support for moving the magnetic head to multiple positions with respect to said magnetic disk; and  
 a processor connected to the magnetic head, to the spindle motor and to the actuator for exchanging signals with the magnetic head, for controlling movement of the magnetic disk and for controlling the position of the magnetic head.  
 
     
     
       11. A magnetic disk drive as described in  claim 10  wherein the second shield layer and the first pole piece layer are a common layer. 
     
     
       12. A magnetic disk drive as described in  claim 10  wherein the second shield layer and the first pole piece layer are separate layers and are separated by a nonmagnetic insulative isolation layer. 
     
     
       13. A magnetic disk drive as described in  claim 10  wherein the second shield layer comprises NiFeCo—N. 
     
     
       14. A magnetic disk drive as described in  claim 10  wherein the second pole piece layer comprises a laminated layer of NiFeCo—O—N films with interlayer films of Al 2 O 3  or SiO 2 . 
     
     
       15. A magnetic disk drive as described in  claim 14  including:
 a seed layer comprising NiFeCo—O—N;  
 the second pole piece layer being directly on the seed layer; and  
 the seed layer having higher O 2  and N 2  contents than the NiFeCo—O—N of the second pole piece layer.  
 
     
     
       16. A magnetic disk drive as described in  claim 15  including:
 a bottom layer of SiO 2 ; and  
 the seed layer being located between the bottom layer and the second shield layer.  
 
     
     
       17. A magnetic disk drive as described in  claim 16  wherein the laminated layer includes four NiFeCo—O—N films that are each substantially 4500 Å thick. 
     
     
       18. A magnetic disk drive as described in  claim 17  wherein the second shield layer comprises NiFeCo—N. 
     
     
       19. A magnetic head assembly, which has an air bearing surface (ABS), comprising:
 a spin valve sensor, nonmagnetic first and second read gap layers, a ferromagnetic first shield layer and a ferromagnetic first pole piece layer;  
 the spin valve sensor being located between the first and second read gap layers and the first and second read gap layers being located between the first shield layer and the first pole piece layer;  
 the spin valve sensor having a pinned layer which has a magnetic moment that is pinned by a pinning layer in a direction perpendicular to the ABS;  
 a ferromagnetic second pole piece layer and a nonmagnetic write gap layer wherein the second pole piece layer is separated from the first pole piece layer by the write gap layer at the ABS and is connected to the first pole piece layer at a back gap;  
 each of the first shield layer and the first and second pole piece layers having a magnetic easy axis that is directed parallel to the ABS and to a greatest thin film surface of multiple thin film surfaces of each respective layer so as to have in-plane anisotropy;  
 an insulation stack with a coil layer embedded therein located between the first and second pole piece layers wherein the insulation stack includes at least one baked photoresist insulation layer; and  
 at least one of the first shield layer and the first and second pole piece layers comprising NiFeCo—O—N or NiFeCo—N and having an in-plane uniaxial anisotropy field H K  from 2.6 Oe to 6.0 Oe.  
 
     
     
       20. A magnetic head assembly as described in  claim 19  wherein the second shield layer comprises NiFeCo—N. 
     
     
       21. A magnetic head assembly as described in  claim 19  wherein the second pole piece layer comprises a laminated layer of NiFeCo—O—N films with interlayer films of Al 2 O 3  or SiO 2 . 
     
     
       22. A magnetic head assembly as described in  claim 21  including:
 a seed layer comprising NiFeCo—O—N;  
 the second pole piece layer being directly on the seed layer; and  
 the seed layer having higher O and N contents than the NiFeCo—O—N of the second pole piece layer.  
 
     
     
       23. A magnetic head assembly as described in  claim 22  including:
 a bottom layer of SiO 2 ; and  
 the seed layer being located between the bottom layer and the second shield layer.  
 
     
     
       24. A magnetic head assembly as described in  claim 23  wherein the laminated layer includes four NiFeCo—O—N films that are each substantially 4500 Å thick. 
     
     
       25. A magnetic disk drive including a magnetic head assembly having an air bearing surface (ABS), the disk drive comprising:
 the magnetic head assembly including: 
 a spin valve sensor, first and second nonmagnetic first and second read gap layers, a ferromagnetic first shield layer and a ferromagnetic first pole piece layer;  
 the spin valve sensor being located between the first and second read gap layers and the first and second read gap layers being located between the first shield layer and the first pole piece layer;  
 the spin valve sensor having a pinned layer which has a magnetic moment that is pinned by a pinning layer in a direction perpendicular to the ABS;  
 a ferromagnetic second pole piece layer and a write gap layer wherein the second pole piece layer is separated from the first pole piece layer by the write gap layer at the ABS and is connected to the first pole piece layer at a back gap;  
 each of the first shield layer and the first and second pole piece layers having an easy axis that is directed parallel to the ABS and to a greatest thin film surface of multiple thin film surfaces of each respective layer so as to have in-plane anisotropy;  
 an insulation stack with a coil layer embedded therein located between the first and second pole piece layers wherein the insulation stack includes at least one baked photoresist insulation layer; and  
 at least one of the first shield layer and the first and second pole piece layers comprising NiFeCo—O—N or NiFeCo—N and having an in-plane uniaxial anisotropy field H K  from 2.6 Oe to 6.0 Oe;  
 
 a housing;  
 a magnetic disk rotatably supported in the housing;  
 a support mounted in the housing for supporting the magnetic head with its ABS site facing the magnetic disk so that the magnetic head is in a transducing relationship with the magnetic disk;  
 spindle motor for rotating the magnetic disk;  
 an actuator means connected to the support for moving the magnetic head to multiple positions with respect to said magnetic disk; and  
 a processor connected to the magnetic head, to the spindle motor and to the actuator for exchanging signals with the magnetic head, for controlling movement of the magnetic disk and for controlling the position of the magnetic head.  
 
     
     
       26. A magnetic disk drive as described in  claim 25  wherein the second shield layer comprises NiFeCo—N. 
     
     
       27. A magnetic disk drive as described in  claim 25  wherein the second pole piece layer comprises a laminated layer of NiFeCo—O—N films with interlayer films of Al 2 O 3  or SiO 2 . 
     
     
       28. A magnetic disk drive as described in  claim 27  including:
 a seed layer comprising NiFeCo—O—N;  
 the second pole piece layer being directly on the seed layer; and  
 the seed layer having higher O 2  and N 2  contents than the NiFeCo—O—N of the second pole piece layer.  
 
     
     
       29. A magnetic disk drive as described in  claim 28  including:
 a bottom layer of SiO 2 ; and  
 the seed layer being located between the bottom layer and the second shield layer.  
 
     
     
       30. A magnetic disk drive as described in  claim 29  wherein the laminated layer includes four NiFeCo—O—N films that are each substantially 4500 Å thick.